This invention relates to providing a more efficient system for securing equipment to an open web steel joist of the type similar to that referenced in U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,786, incorporated herein by reference. More particularly, this invention concerns a clamping system that is preferably used to clamp a piping system, of the type commonly used to suspend a basketball backboard and basket, to an open web steel joist of the type commonly used to support a gymnasium building roof structure.
Typically, large buildings such as schools, wholesale and retail buildings, manufacturing buildings and sports complexes, including gymnasiums, are often fabricated using open web style steel joists. Such joists extend from the walls of a building or from girders which extend from the walls, and support either the roof of the building or a higher floor. In gymnasiums, installation of basketball equipment is common. The basketball equipment is usually supported from the open web style steel joists. One method (illustrated later herein in detail as xe2x80x9cprior artxe2x80x9d) of securing the basketball equipment to the joists has been that of using a horizontal compressive clamp consisting of two L-shaped brackets attached to two vertical pipe clamp holders. The L-shaped brackets fit over the top of the upside down L-shaped ends of the open web joist. As the bracket is tightened, it compresses and holds onto the open web joist. The bottom end of the bracket attaches with a pipe clamping means to the pipe used to support the basketball equipment, thereby suspending the equipment from the roof structure.
The above-described clamp has several innate problems associated with it. For example, over-tightening of the horizontal clamp results in the clamp bending such that it does not firmly grip the L-shaped ends of the open web joist. This may result in slippage and the clamp (and the basketball equipment assembly) coming loose. As a further example, the weight of the basketball equipment is stressed on literally just the ends of the open web joist. And vibratory and other movements of the basketball equipment, as commonly occurs in these types of installations, can cause movement of the clamp along the joist and/or a failure in the holding of the clamp onto the open web joist.
A primary object and feature of the present invention is to fill the above-mentioned needs by the provision of an improved clamping system for attaching a load to an open web steel joist. In addition, it is a primary object and feature of this invention to provide such a system that supports a load with a clamp that provides direct vertical support by an open web joist and indirect vertical support utilizing a horizontal clamp. A further primary object and feature of the present invention is to provide such a device or system which is efficient, inexpensive, and handy. Other objects and features of this invention will become apparent with reference to the following invention descriptions.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this invention provides an open-web-joist clamping system for supporting a load from an open-web joist, having a longitudinal open middle portion and transversely opposed longitudinal bottom lips, comprising, in combination: a first clamp means for supporting the load while clamping the joist horizontally; and a second clamp means for supporting the load while clamping the joist vertically wherein such second clamp means is adjacent such first clamp means. It also provides such a system wherein such second clamp means is structured and arranged to clamp on the open-web joist adjacent the open middle portion. And it provides such a system wherein such first clamp means is structured and arranged to clamp onto the transversely opposed longitudinal bottom lips. Additionally, it provides such a system further comprising a third clamp means for attaching such first clamp means and such second clamp means to the load. Further, it provides such a system wherein such third clamp means comprises a pipe-holding means for supporting a load-holding pipe; and wherein such third clamping means is structured and arranged to support a basketball equipment assembly. Still further, it provides such a system wherein such third clamping means comprises a pipe-holding means for supporting a basketball equipment assembly. It also provides such a system wherein such second clamp means is substantially centered with respect to such first clamp means.
Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this invention provides an open-web-joist clamping system for supporting a load from an open-web joist, having a longitudinal open middle portion and transversely opposed longitudinal bottom lips, comprising, in combination: at least one first clamp assembly structured and arranged to support the load while clamping the joist horizontally; and at least one second clamp assembly structured and arranged to support the load while clamping the joist vertically wherein such second clamp assembly is adjacent such first clamp assembly. It also provides such a system wherein such second clamp assembly is structured and arranged to clamp the open-web joist vertically adjacent the open middle portion. And it provides such a system wherein such first clamp assembly is structured and arranged to clamp such first clamp subassembly so as to tightly hold onto the transversely opposed longitudinal bottom lips of the open web joist. Also, it provides such a system further comprising a set of load holding-assemblies structured and arranged to attach such first clamp assembly and such second clamp assembly to the load. Moreover, it provides such a system wherein each such load holding assembly comprises a pipe-holding clamp structured and arranged to support a load-holding pipe; and further, wherein such set of load holding assemblies are structured and arranged to support a basketball equipment assembly. Still further, it provides such a system wherein such set of load holding assemblies comprise a pipe-holding clamp structured and arranged to support a basketball equipment assembly; and, further, wherein such first clamp assembly and such second clamp assembly each provide independent support to the load. Even further, it provides such a system wherein such second clamp assembly is substantially centered with respect to such first clamp assembly and wherein such second clamp assembly comprises: at least two vertical bars, each having a first end and a second end; a structural member comprising a flat portion, comprising at least two first apertures, each holding one such first end of one such vertical bar; a load-support member having at least two second apertures, each holding one such second end of one such vertical bar; and at least two bar-height adjusting members, each fitting one such end of one such vertical bar, wherein such structural member is structured and arranged so that such flat portion may be supported only over the longitudinal open middle portion of the open-web joist, and wherein such load-support member is structured and arranged to support the load, whereby adjusting such bar-height adjusting members causes such structural member and such load-support member to be drawn closer together, thereby supporting the load by the open-web joist.
In addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this invention provides an open-web-joist clamping system for supporting a load from an open-web joist, having a longitudinal open middle portion and a pair of transversely opposed longitudinal bottom lips, comprising, in combination: a first clamp assembly comprising at least two horizontal bolts, each such horizontal bolt having a first threaded end and a second threaded end, two opposing clamp subassemblies wherein each such opposing clamp subassembly comprises at least two first vertical bolts, each such first vertical bolt having a first end and a second threaded end, an inverted L-shaped angle member having a planar top surface and a side surface, at least two first apertures, in such L-shaped angle member top surface, each such first aperture holding a such first end of one such vertical bolt, at least two second apertures, in such side surface, each such second aperture holding one end of one such horizontal bolt, an upwardly concave half-clamp member having at least two third apertures, each such third aperture holding a such second threaded end of one such first vertical bolt, at least two first threaded nuts, each such first threaded nut fitting one such second threaded end of one such first vertical bolt, at least two second threaded nuts, each such second threaded nut fitting such one end of such horizontal bolt, wherein a bottom portion of such side surface comprises a downwardly concave clamping surface, wherein a leading portion of such top surface of such inverted L-shaped angle member is structured and arranged to fit over one transversely opposed longitudinal bottom lip of the open web joist, wherein such upwardly concave half-clamp member is structured and arranged to support the load, and wherein such first vertical bolts connect such L-shaped angle member and such upwardly concave half-clamp member, whereby tightening such nuts fitting such first vertical bolts clamps together each such L-shaped angle member with each such upwardly concave half-clamp member, and tightening such nuts fitting such horizontal bolts is arranged to clamp such first clamp subassembly so as to tightly hold onto the transversely opposed longitudinal bottom lips of the open web joist; and a second clamp assembly comprising at least two second vertical bolts, each having a first threaded end and a second threaded end, an inverted U-shaped channel member having a flat top portion, comprising at least two fourth apertures, each holding one such first threaded end of such second vertical bolt, and two side portions, an arcuate half-clamp member having at least two fifth apertures, each holding one such second threaded end of such second vertical bolt, and a least four third threaded nuts, each fitting one such threaded end of one such second vertical bolt, wherein such inverted U-shaped channel member is structured and arranged so that such flat top portion may be supported only over the longitudinal open middle portion of the open-web joist, and wherein such arcuate half-clamp member is structured and arranged to support the load, whereby tightening such third threaded nuts causes such inverted U-shaped channel member and such arcuate half-clamp member to be drawn closer together thereby supporting the load by the open-web joist; wherein such second clamp assembly is substantially centered with respect to such first clamp assembly; whereby, when such first clamp assembly and such second clamp assembly are both supported by the open-web joist and are both supporting the load, such first clamp assembly and such second clamp assembly function together to provide improved load support.
Even further, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this invention provides an open-web-joist load-support system for supporting a load from an open-web joist, having a longitudinal open middle portion and a pair of transversely opposed longitudinal bottom lips, comprising, in combination: a hanger, structured and arranged to be supported by the open-web joist only adjacent and above the longitudinal open middle portion, arranged to support a hung load; and a capture, structured and arranged to be supported by such hanger, arranged to capture the hung load. It also provides such a system wherein such hanger comprises: at least one vertical connection system having an upper end and a lower end and sufficient tensile strength to support the hung load; and a structural member comprising a flat portion, and at least one attachment between such structural member and such upper end; wherein such structural member is structured and arranged so that such flat portion will be supported only over the longitudinal open middle portion of the open-web joist. Still further, it provides such a system wherein such vertical connection system is structured and arranged so that an upper portion of such vertical connection system will be situated substantially within the longitudinal open middle portion of the open-web joist.